


can we always be this close (forever and ever)?

by bardingbeedle



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Pet Names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 04:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21030512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardingbeedle/pseuds/bardingbeedle
Summary: "Can I hold your hand?"





	can we always be this close (forever and ever)?

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on [this ask](https://elcorhamletlive.tumblr.com/post/186480925785/when-they-first-get-together-steve-is-so-nervous) on tumblr.

“Can I hold your hand?” 

Tony blinks up at the ceiling for a long while before he finally processes that Steve spoke. 

“What?” he rasps out, throat dry. His body aches. He can’t really move, still. 

“Can I- I just, wanted to ask. If I could hold you?” Steve is talking. Steve is beside him talking with that low, silky voice of his. He also sounds like his throat is dry. Tony tries to look at Steve but his head won’t cooperate with his brain, so he has to strain his eyes really hard to be able to catch a blurry glimpse of Steve from his peripherals. 

Steve looks pink. Tony melts a little _more_, which he didn’t think was possible at this point. Steve looks really, really good when he blushes. All blotchy and red. 

“Your hand, I mean.” Steve says, licking his lips, stopping to worry his bottom lip between his teeth.

Tony coughs, trying to clear his throat. He feels the bed move beneath him, and then the mattress exhales as Steve gets off the bed. Tony lets out a short, high whine. Where is Steve going?

He hears a cap popping off a bottle and smells Steve before he sees him. Steve smells really good, not at all sweaty and like sex. He smells like how Steve smells after he showers. Tony really should work on moving his head at some point. 

He sees Steve hover over his face. Steve’s smiling, eyes lighting up with amusement as he looks down at Tony. Tony blinks. 

“Hey, Tony.” 

Tony grins, wide. “Hi, Steve,” he slurs. He feels like his face is going to break. 

“Here you go, sweetheart,” Steve says, touching a water bottle to Tony’s lips. 

He loves Steve so much. 

“Need that,” Tony says, trying to fit his mouth over the bottle. Steve laughs softly. 

“Keep still, honey, let me- no, just keep your mouth open, baby.” 

He’s heard Steve tell him to open his mouth a few times before, but this feels more intimate, somehow. 

He opens his mouth and feels the bottle tip, and finally, cool water down his throat. He drinks for a while, then Steve pulls the bottle away. He smacks his lips lazily. 

Steve gets back into bed with him, and Tony feels like he’s got enough energy and brainpower back to try moving. Steve settles on the pillow next to him, and Tony rolls his head to look at Steve.

He looks gorgeous. 

“You look gorgeous,” Tony says. Because it’s true. Steve’s flushed and smiling at Tony and his hair’s floppy and messy and his lips are red. 

“Thank you, sweetheart. You do, too.” 

“What,” Tony swallows, thinking. “What did you say?” 

“I said thank you, baby.” 

“No. No, you said, before, you asked me a thing,” Tony smiles again. “I don’t remember. You did a number on me, soldier.” He says that last bit just to get Steve to blush a bit more. 

It works. 

Steve sputters a bit, and laughs. “Uhm, thanks. I- yeah, you look like you had a good time.” 

Tony rolls his hips a bit, grinding his ass down on the bed. He stretches out his legs. “Mhmm.” 

Steve inhales sharply. He leans over and kisses Tony, slow and sweet. Tony pulls away, just an inch. 

“What’d- you said, you asked me. Steve?” 

Steve looks like two Steves because Tony’s face is so close, so he moves his head back a bit. 

“I asked, can I hold your hand?” Steve’s eyes flit across Tony’s face nervously.

Tony blinks. He’s been blinking a lot throughout this conversation, he thinks.

“We just had sex.” 

Steve goes absolutely red. “I know, Tony, oh my gosh.” He laughs. 

“I mean, we just. We just had sex, why would you have to ask that?” Steve could hold him any time. 

Steve kisses him again. His lips first, then he ducks his head to press kisses to Tony’s neck. “We’ve never held hands before.” 

“Yes, we have.” 

“No, baby, not yet.” 

“We’ve, you’re my boyfriend. We had a weekiversary.” He remembers, it was a week ago. Steve got him a sweater with the shield on it, and made him dinner. Which reminds him. “Are we going to have a weekiversary this week?” 

“I am, and we did. And we can, if you want.” He feels Steve kiss his collarbones. “We’ve only been dating two weeks, honey. We haven’t held hands yet.” 

That’s weird, Tony thinks. “That’s weird. I feel like that, that should’ve been a thing.” Steve exhales shakily against the spot where Tony’s neck meets his shoulder. Tony starts to feel a little anxious. “You know I love you, right? I haven’t been like, actively avoiding your hands or anything.” 

Steve ducks back up and meets Tony’s eyes. “Yeah, sweetheart. I love you, too.” 

Tony nods minutely. “Good.” 

“Good,” Steve says, lips turned up in a quirky grin, teeth peeking out from his pink lips. God, he loves Steve. 

They look at each other for a long moment before Tony frowns. “Well?” 

Steve snorts, and lets out a sharp laugh. “Baby, you’re so out of it.” 

Tony frowns harder. “Do it, Steve.” His heart is racing a little and he has no idea why. He just, he suddenly feels overwhelmed by the need to hold Steve’s hand. To have Steve hold him, in general. “Please.” 

Steve’s hands come up and cup his face, thumbs running across Tony’s cheeks and the hairs of his beard. He kisses Tony, deeply and languidly. He nudges Tony until he’s completely on his back again, and hovers over him. Steve’s hands run down his body, and his lips press more insistently against Tony’s lips. He swallows down every noise Tony makes. 

Tony feels electric, which is how he feels every time Steve kisses him like this. Like he’s taking away Tony’s breath, like he can’t help himself and he just needs, needs, _needs_ to be pressed against Tony forever. He feels Steve’s hands grip his hips, Tony’s own hands laying limp on his sides. His fingers twitch slightly, in anticipation. 

This feels more than it is, more than holding hands. Tony doesn’t know why, but when it comes to Steve, Tony’s learned not to ask too many questions and just _feel_.

Steve gently cups his hands, one by one. He pulls away from Tony’s lips, and Tony finds himself craning his neck upwards, toward Steve’s lips, exhaling shakily. Steve straddles Tony’s hips, picking up both of Tony’s hands and intertwining their fingers together. He kisses Tony’s hands, his scarred fingers and rough palms. Tony thinks that Steve would kiss his hands forever, with the way he’s looking at Tony. Steve looks like he could do this all day. 

Tony feels so loved. 

Steve closes his eyes and stops, breathing in and out for a few moments. He presses Tony’s hands to his chest, to his heart. Tony spreads his palms and feels Steve’s heartbeat, fast and sturdy. Tony’s throat constricts. 

“Is this considered hand holding?” Tony jokes. He’s whispering, and he doesn’t know why he feels the need to. 

“I think it does. I love your hands,” Steve murmurs. Tony likes the way Steve’s hands cover his, and how his hands feel against Steve’s chest. 

Steve bends down and kisses Tony again, tongue slipping past Tony’s lips. Steve’s heartbeat hastens underneath his palms. Steve’s hands are warm, and his hold is firm. 

Tony sighs into the kiss, and something in his chest settles.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr post here!](https://bardingbeedle.tumblr.com/post/186584244088/idk-what-this-is-but-its-kind-of-born-out-of)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading <3


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